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Tuesday

Whenever we find ourselves far from Turkey’s shores for any extended period of time, nostalgic hunger pangs soon set in. Sure, we quickly develop a hankering for a juicy Adana kebab or even for the simple taste of a simit washed down with some strong tea. But what we really long for is the kind of honest, down-home food found in some of our favorite Istanbul esnaf restaurants (workers’ canteens), humble places where we’ve always found the level of cooking to be top-notch, the service impeccable and the price just right. Unlike, kebab and döner, though, which have succeeded in planting the flag of Turkish food around the world, the concept of the esnaf lokantası has, sadly, yet to really be exported out of Turkey.

We were more than delighted, then, to have been told during a recent trip to New York about the existence of Bi Lokma, a restaurant in Midtown that was trying to bring the esnaf experience to the Big Apple. Our previous experience with Manhattan’s Turkish food scene was that it went either high – white-tablecloth kind of places that served upscale versions of classic Ottoman dishes – or low – döner spots that might serve some lentil soup on the side. But there were hardly any places that hit that sweet middle spot the way a good esnaf lokantası does. Could Bi Lokma the place that fills that void? We decided to go find out. Continue…

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Off the Beaten Path on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast
no responses - Posted
07.29.15
Along the southwestern coast of Turkey, the vibrant blue waters of the Mediterranean crash against dry, rocky mountains jutting from the water’s edge. For centuries, pilgrims and adventurers alike have scrabbled over the unforgiving terrain between Fetihye and Antalya known as the Lycian Way. Ruins dating back to Greek and Roman times nestle between the scrubby trees and undergrowth, melding with ... continue

Cuma Usta: Anatolian Snow Cone
no responses - Posted
07.24.15
Standing behind the counter at his small bici bici shop in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul, Cuma Usta recalls the first time he headed up into the mountains with his uncles in search of wild ice, one of the key ingredients in this Turkish snow cone treat sold from street carts throughout southern Turkey. His uncles had gone up in ... continue

Baylan Pastanesi: A Slice of History
no responses - Posted
07.08.15
The roaring '20s: Flappers in the Pera Palas Hotel were dancing the can-can, Art Deco was all the rage, the Turkish Republic was born. Hope, progress and newness double-stepped to the beat of Kemal Atatürk’s drum. This was the backdrop to which two Istanbul bakers, Filip and Yorgi, opened a whimsical chapter in the culinary story of the city. The fruit ... continue

Tophane Tarihi Taş Fırın: Fast Break Bake
no responses - Posted
06.29.15
Every year, for one month only, bakeries across Istanbul churn out round, flat, yeasty loaves of Ramazan pide bread. Before Muslims break their fast at sundown, they hurry to buy these addictively chewy pides, which are essential to the iftar meal here. Some bakeries rely on machines to shape the pide and stamp the traditional checkerboard pattern on top; others do it the old-fashioned way, by ... continue

Ramadan’s Iftar: The Break Fast of Champions
no responses - Posted
06.22.15
Think of Ramadan, which began in late June in many parts of the world, as a kind of monthlong biathlon that consists of an all-day race to beat back the hunger and thirst of fasting, followed by an all-night marathon of eating and drinking in order to fortify the body for the next day’s fast. In recent years in Turkey, iftar, ... continue

Deniz Börek Salonu in Edirne
no responses - Posted
06.17.15
Edirne has more meat to offer beyond the glistening liver that bears its name. Deniz Börek Salonu has crowned the top of Saraçlar Caddesi since 1986. Every morning, lines of salivating citizens hurry to work with crunchy poğaças or sit down to enjoy steaming heaps of stuffed pastry. While there are many börek places in Edirne, few are able to produce ... continue

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Istanbul Eats on the Road: Putting the “Pit” Back into Pit Stop 1 response - Posted 07.01.11
When traveling by bus in Turkey, we tend to get anxious as the dinner hour approaches. As the bus downshifts, through the mesh shades we see a gleaming rest area/cafeteria/gas station/carwash facility specifically constructed for cross-country bus traffic. We feel trapped, robbed of the chance to eat at a local ...continue

Istanbul Eats on the Road: The Magic Meat of Keşan 2 responses - Posted 06.20.11
Editor’s note: This guest post comes courtesy of Salih Seçkin Sevinç, author of the great Turkish-language food blog Harbi Yiyorum (loosely translated as “Eating, For Real”).
On my last two journeys to the Gallipoli region, I made sure to make a stop along the way for satır et, an awesome dish ...continue

Lost in Thrace: Following the Tekirdağ Köftesi Trail 3 responses - Posted 01.17.11
Editor’s note: This week, Istanbul Eats hops on the bus and heads west to sample the Thrace region’s most famous köfte in its native environment. Guest writers Sherri Cohen and Alex Hallowell, Fulbright English Teaching Assistants at Namık Kemal University in Tekirdağ, have run the gut-busting gauntlet to bring you ...continue

Discovering Turkey’s Land of the Pumpkin no responses - Posted 10.18.10 With the arrival of fall, Today's Zaman goes exploring the rich culinary scene of Adapazari, an area not far from Istanbul that's famed for its pumpkins. As the article makes clear, though, Adapazari has much more to offer on the culinary front. The article can be found here. continue

Istanbul Eats on the Road: Gaziantep’s Sweet Dreams 1 response - Posted 10.15.10
Editor’s note: In Salih Seçkin Sevinç, creator of the fantastic Turkish-language food blog Harbi Yiyorum (loosely translated as “Eating, For Real”) we’ve found a kindred spirit and a source for great eating tips. We’ve asked Salih to share with our readers some of his culinary wisdom this week. This ...continue

Istanbul Eats on the Road: Eating For Real in Antep 6 responses - Posted 10.11.10
Editor’s note: In Salih Seçkin Sevinç, creator of the fantastic Turkish-language food blog Harbi Yiyorum (roughly translated as “Eating, For Real” in English), we’ve found a kindred spirit and a source for great eating tips. We’ve asked Salih to share with our readers some of his culinary wisdom and this ...continue

Istanbul Eats on the Road: Viva Van Breakfast! 3 responses - Posted 09.24.10
For breakfast lovers, the experience of arriving in the eastern Turkish city of Van is akin to what a gambler might feel upon showing up in Las Vegas – overwhelmed by the options and the promise of a serious payout.
Van, of course, is the home and birthplace of the monstrous ...continue

Istanbul Eats on the Road: Breakfast in Bursa no responses - Posted 08.20.10
With all of the hype around Bursa’s claim to fame, the İskender kebab, you’d think Bursans persisted on a diet of thinly sliced döner, pide, tomato sauce and frothy melted butter. But in between the spinning meat-sicles, the very icon of Turkish fast food, the markets of Bursa offer a ...continue